This invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the loading and unloading of vehicles such as snowmobiles into and from the rear end of a pick-up truck. It is comprised of a rigid frame which is fixedly secured to the bed of the truck and has a pair of transversely spaced slideways within which the forward one of two pivotally connected ramp sections slides. The second and rearward ramp section functions as an extension of the slidable ramp section when in loading position and as a tailgate for the truck when both sections are in stored position.
Many others have formerly proposed various devices to facilitate loading and unloading of such vehicles into the rear of a pick-up truck. Some of these have used ramps which slide outwardly from a stored position to an extended loading position. Some have used telescoping or nesting ramp sections. Most of them are relatively complicated and involve substantial modification of the pick-up truck. Insofar as it is known, none have provided such a device which functions both as a simple ramp and as a tailgate while using the standard equipment found upon most pick-up trucks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,857 shows a ramp section which is slidable rearwardly to an extended position at which it can pivot downwardly to function as a ramp. It is carried, however, by a platform assembly which is slidable upon a base assembly, the latter being fixed to the bed of the truck. Thus, it is a relatively complicated and extensive arrangement and makes no provision for a ramp section functioning as a tailgate for the truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,565 shows a retractable two-section ramp which is hinged at its front end to the rear end of a trailer. The ramp sections require supporting legs and a cylinder is provided to pivot the forward ramp section to a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,156 shows a folding ramp the sections of which are progressively narrower toward the rear and which telescope within each other as they move to folded position.
Thus, as shown by the above patents, prior art assemblies produced for similar purposes are relatively complicated and expensive. None suggest the use of a two-section ramp slidable within a frame assembly and utilizing the rear section as a tailgate for the pick-up truck.